Birth of the Jedi
by Taliesin The Eternal Bard
Summary: 30 years ago Luke Skywalker walked away from everything after the destruction of his Jedi Temple. "Or Did He" What Happens when Ray shows up on Ahch-To asking for help...
1. Everything old is new again

Luke Skywalker arrived on the water planet of Ahch-To, 30 years ago. When he left some members of **The Republic t** hought he was running away any even told him as much, but the truth was known only to a handful. If **The Republic** was going to thrive it needed to do it on its own, it had grown to reliant on the order to solve its problems and that's what led to the downfall.

The other reason is Luke had grown to see all life as being sacred, its not that he would not fight but they had grown to see the Jedi as Enforcers not Peacekeepers So he walked away from everything.

Seated atop the meditation rock he started having a force vision about his old friends he left behind, suddenly he gets a vision of Millennium Falcon, but his old friend Han Solo is not at the helm instead there is a woman about 25 years of age, Chewbacca was beside her.

 _Who is she!,_ Luke thought, _And why is she piloting The Falcon?_

"She will be your Padawan" The force nun stated in a matter of fact tenor.

"My Pad- but i've given all that up... years ago" Luke protested in a strangled voice, only to have the nun look at her speculatively as her brow slowly rose to an arch, only to have the nun's tight tenor chastise him saying, "You may think you've given all that up, but the force has other ideas, and it will not be denied"

 _Why do I know her!_ Luke thought, he had a lot to consider.

* * *

Moments later he sat on the meditation rock thinking about the conversation with the nun and the force vision, the change in the flow of the force he felt combined with the grief coming off his sister Leia in waves began to make sense.

 _Ben what have you done,_ Luke thought as he remembered his friend Han Solo's light going out two days ago, The disbelief he felt was palpable.

Clinging to hope it was a mistake he knew that,

Vision's in the force change over time he knew that, but the force told him that was not to be and now he like his sister he grieves his loss. Han Solo may have been a Rogue and a scoundrel but he was a lovable one.

* * *

Two days later as Luke sat in the stillness of his own isolation waiting, for what he did not know but he waited all the same. The next instance came and the vision itself was even more profound than the first.

 _Two wolves sat in_ silence _one black and one white. Slowly at first the two wolves start to blur and then fade and merge and were replaced with a gray wolf. Suddenly the gray wolf looks right at Luke, It does not speak however Luke heard his message, "Follow me"_

 _The Wolf walks down the path to an old remnant of a tree and waits, the tree itself looks like the tines of a pitchfork, Luke watches as the wolf walks right into the tree itself and_ _vanishes._

He was not sure if what he was seeing was real or a vision until The Force Nun said, "The wolf brought you here did it... That tree holds many secrets beware young Jedi!"

As she walks away she turns back saying, "Sometimes the wolf is a friend, sometimes it is not."

Reaching out with the force to sense what is in the tree, when the tree suddenly opens Luke felt a tightening knot in the pit of his stomach pulling him forward.

As he looks around Luke said, "It will mean learning…"

He cut that thought off mid contemplation then he thought, _it will mean abandoning everything Yoda taught me, abandoning everything he stood for._

 _"No Not Everything"_ Yoda's disembodied voice stated, _It will mean accepting the force... All of The Force, both good and bad..._

 _Had you stayed I would have taught you everything I know,_ Yoda's disembodied voice told him.

His eyes snapped open and there in-front of him was Master Yoda's Force ghost telling him, "I will teach you both..."

Master... Yoda? Luke stated as he looked at he old mentor speculatively

* * *

Exiting the tree 15 minutes later Luke's mind raced with all the possibilities, for the first time since he began his training with Obi Won Kenobi all those years ago Luke was unsure of himself, he was a Jedi Master yet he knew nothing. His father Anakin Skywalker became the most famous and very possibly the most powerful Sith Lord the galaxy has ever known "Darth Vader." but is that all that he was.

Luke was positively giddy with laughter as he thought, _everything the universe knows about Jedi is wrong, they were only half trained._

The force nun of Ahch-To said, "No not wrong Master Skywalker…"

"You will need to realign your teachings back to what they were meant to be" The force nun stated firmly.

In his mind Luke heard Yoda say, "You read the text but do not understand, the force is the force, not good, not bad until we choose"

"But" Luke said sharply clinging to his reality and not wanting to give it up.

With a heavy sigh the force nun looked at Luke and said, "Good, Evil, Light, Dark, these things are created by man" Leveling her gaze on Luke The force nun asks, "When a predator kills its pray is that evil"

"Yoda was right Master Skywalker" The Nun stated, "the force is the force, not good, not bad until we choose"

"Well no" Luke said defensively, "Hey how did you."

"Who do you think told him!" The Nun said grinning at Luke

"The Je'daii of old did not fear the dark, they did however respect it" The force nun explained as she walked to the cliffs edge.

Luke knew one thing, everything was about to change, what troubled him was the fact he didn't know how.

* * *

That night in his hut the image of the women in The Millennium Falcon's pilot seat, rushes back to the forefront of Luke's mind as Yoda's disembodied voice said, "Your Padawan will she be!"

It was not a question, it was a statement of fact, and Luke knew it. The broader question is could he do it after failing so miserably with Ben, could he find redemption.

 _Who is she, Luke thought, why do I know her!_ Yoda's comment turned over and over in his mind as Luke commented, "I left all of that behind when I came here!"

Yoda's force ghost appears saying, "So did I when I went to Dagobah but you came anyway!"

" _I'm not going to make it easy for her…"_ Luke thought, _"I will be training her at the same time I am training myself, the only difference is I know all the risks… learning one style at a time is hard enough but learning two of them, at the same time… could she do it…_

 _"Did I make it easy for you!"_ Yoda's voice said softly in his mind.

"You have time before she arrives" The force nun told him, Not much but you have time!

"Time for what" Luke asks

"To overcome your fear of the dark-side mater Jedi" The force nun told him, "She is a Jedi like the galaxy has not seen in generations She is a Je'daii"

"Meaning" Luke asks, as the force Nun said, "She is the daughter of a powerful Jedi, and a former Hand!"

In his mind Luke thought, _But they are dead... they died at the temple!_

Did they? The Nun asks, Did you find the bodies! Did you feel them become one with the force?

Luke did not dare to hope as he said with a strangled voice, "N-No!"

"Then Alive they Are!" Yoda said to Luke.


	2. Revelations

Rey had spent the last three weeks following Luke Skywalker from one end of the island of Ahch-To to another hoping to get him to train her. She knew it's well-trodden paths almost as will as he did by now and found her way to the practice area without realizing where she was going. Considering it was dawn that was quite a feat.

She started her well-practiced warm-up routine by working with her staff at first moving to the right and then to the left as she moved through the series of fighting moves, before switching to the lightsaber. Her movements took on a Zen -like quality as she moved Rey was not thinking so much as feeling… The lightsaber buzzed and hummed as it moved through the air. The sweeping motion moving from right to left without realizing what she was doing rate cut through a solid rock pillar.

Above her on the path making his way down to the practice area Luke Skywalker witnessed Rey cleaving the stone into 2 pieces thinking to himself, _she wants me to teach her! … What can I show her?_

In his mind Luke heard his Mentors voice say, _Control, gifted she is, but lacking_ _control!_

Finally, Luke called out to Rey saying, Take a break for a moment! …

Sitting with his back to the cliff face Luke gestured for her to sit, he himself was silent for what seemed an eternity when Luke stated, "I think you have been tapping into the force your entire life. I also think you didn't know you didn't know that you were."

"Tell me, can you understand droid?" Luke asked.

Momentarily taken aback not only by the question but the frankness of the question itself Rey stated, Yes… as easily as I understand you now.

"I'll bet you can pilot the Millennium Falcon like you were born to it", Luke said grinning like a schoolboy.

Y-yes, Ray stammered once again in a strangled and surprised tone of voice.

"Jedi are born, not made Rey… and you are a Je'dai" Luke states.

"I don't expect you to understand, Not yet anyway"

Later that day Rey was sitting eating a meal when she asks; "Why did you!"

"Why did I come here!" Luke asks taking a seat, pondering the question, he said in a grave tenor, "Imagine feeling the thoughts and emotions of everyone on the planet all at once no matter where you went"

Rey shivers at the thought, saying, "That's"

"Exactly… I had to learn" Luke said, a bit sharper then he intended.

"It's too much for any one person to bare, but I had no choice"

Rey was about to ask a question but thought better of it waiting as Luke took a bite and said matter of Factly, "Your still new to all this and you can still walk away, if you continue... this is something you will have to face yourself"

"That's quite the pep talk" Rey said in a snarky tenner.

"It was not meant to be" Luke replied quietly, "When I started my training I had no idea what I was getting myself into, I thought I was going off on some grand adventure,.. I want to take of the blinders on day one"

After a pause Luke states, "Your combat skills can wait for the moment"

"Why" Rey stammered.

In a semi gruff tenner Luke said, "Because at the moment you need to learn control, I've seen your level of ability in only one other person"

Wide eyed Rey asks, "Who would that be!"

"You know him as Kylo Ren" Luke deadpanned, "I know him as Ben Solo, my Nephew"

"Your Nephew" Rey states in a thick tenor full of emotion.

 _If only…_ Luke thought

* * *

20 minutes later Yoda appears causing Rey to fall over backwards he states accusingly, "Had you not cut yourself off from the force you would already know Maria Jade still lives…"

"Maria Jade!" Rey asks

Sensing her next question Luke said, "One of the few Jedi to master both the light and the dark sides of the force."

"Think the girl has not the right to know her own mother do you!" Yoda states chidingly, "To know her family"

"No I did not want to distract her, besides I didn't know for certain until this moment" Luke said walking away, "Her full name is Mara Jade Skywalker she is my wife…"

"I'm y-y-your daughter" Rey asks

The only thing Luke said was, "I'll be up at the meditation rock when your ready to talk!"

Just as Rey was about to chase down her wayward father when Yoda said, Ray… Blame him not… grieving his son he is"

Later that night at meditation rock, Reay quietly walked up asking, "I have a brother!"

Luke corrected her saying, "You had a brother, the night Ben Solo became Kylo Ren he killed your brother along with every Padawan at the temple."


	3. Mara Jade Skywalker

Half a galaxy away on Coruscant a woman with fiery red hair sits at a kitchen table when she senses a wave of anxiety come over her through the force. Mara Jade Skywalker thinks, _it can't be she's dead!... she died 19 years ago..._

Feeling dark impulses rise in her gut Mara Jade Skywalker states in a cold tenor, "When I get my hands on Unkar Plutt…"

* * *

Sometime later, on the planet Jakku Mara Jade Skywalker strides up to the kiosk belonging to Unkar Plutt saying, "Remember me Unkar, something about my daughter being dead!"

"You do realize I used to be an Emperor's Hand right, I was his personal assassin!" Mara Jade said, "Where?"

It was not a question so much as a demand

"I – I don't know, last I saw her she stole the millennium falcon and now she's dropped off the map." Unkar said.

The look on Mara's face let Unkar Plutt know she was not fooling around as she said, "Farm boy may be squeamish about this but I'm not… show me!"

Mara started reading Unkar Plutt thoughts ripping them from his mind until she found the image of Rey's face amongst his thoughts as she told him in a cold dead voice, "if I find out you're lying to me, the Emperor's hand will make a command performance, and Unkar they will never find your body."

Unkar Plutt was scared for the first time in his life, he had heard the stories of the emperor's hand, but to feel the ruthlessness first hand that was another story

"You thought you could sell her to the empire as bait to lure me out." Mara Jade said, "Just for that!"

Mara Jade had a look of you have no idea whom you've made an enemy of... in a cold level voice Mara Jade said, I still have contacts in the empire, "All I would need to do is tell them your playing both sides…"

"Y-You wouldn't" Unkar Plutt… stammered.

"Again, former Emperor's Hand, and personal assassin, I don't mind using deception to get the job done and if it keeps my hands clean all the better", Mara Jade states walking away

* * *

Meanwhile back on Ahch-To Luke Skywalker, was talking to Rey.

In a soft quizzical tone Rey asks, "What was his name!"

"Your aunt Leia Organa named him Jacen", Luke told her.

"Is it- Is it wrong that I want to kill him", Rey spat….

Chuckling Luke said, "I'd be worried if you didn't, but I would still talk you out of it"

"D-Dad why don't you carry a Lightsaber anymore", Rey asks.

"Feels odd does it, that I'm your father, it was just as odd for me when I found out Vader was my father" Luke said with a light chuckle...

"But getting back to your question, I no longer carry a Lightsaber because here I have no need of one"

Luke shot her a look that said hold on a moment, Luke told Rey, "At this point my abilities have progressed to the point where lightsabers are pointless... I also consider all life as sacred and to harm another is to harm myself"

Luke suddenly closed his eyes and concentrated telling Rey, I am sending a copy of your map to your mother

"Y-you can do that" Rey states looking at him in awe.

* * *

Meanwhile back on Jakku Mara Jade Skywalker, heads to the spaceport and the cockpit of The Jade Shadow, where she sends a subspace burst to one Leia Organa, the Message was short and simple (Where is farm boy) Leia Knew that the only one that called him that was Mara Jade.

* * *

Thirty minutes later Mara Jade received her own subspace burst with a set of coordinates in deep space and a message "Nice to see your alive"

Knowing how to use Diplomatic channels to expedite things did come in handy the lights of the Jade Shadow flickered for a moment as the data banks containing all the galactic space maps rebooted.

As the map to the planet Ahch-To came up on the screen Mara Jade thought, _I know every map in this Database I've never seen this one._

Through the force Mara Jade heard Luke say, _Our Daughter is safe, just follow the map…_

The following night both Rey and Luke were out at meditation rock when Luke said, she just came into orbit and she is taking a stealth approach.

"Your mother" Luke said, "In order to become The Emperor's Hand had to train alongside the Red Guard"

A disembodied female voice said, "As part of my final test I had to fight and kill five of them"

Rey's head whipped round to the direction the voice came from and ran to her, for the first time in years Mara Jade Skywalker embraced her daughter

"It's alright Mama here…" Mara Jade said in a soft motherly tone, told her, "and Unkar Plutt will no longer be an issue"

"Relax farm-boy, having the reputation of an Emperor's Hand, is useful sometimes"

Luke just shook his head at the comment…

In a flat matter of fact tenor Mara Jade said, "Luke if I'm going to train her properly you need to absolve me of my promise"

"Mom" Rey asks.

"The day we married she promised me to leave that life behind and never use the dark side again" Luke said with a voice full of sorrow because he knew the price she would have to pay.

"As soon as I go dark side they will know I'm alive", Mara Jade said with a voice full of sorrow.

"This is the first Jedi Temple it's very strong with the light side" Luke pointed out, "The reason I knew you were planet side, is because I am intimately familiar with your energy"

"DAD… the images that go with that statement", Rey states.

Mara Jade just laughed.

* * *

The following morning Mara Jade wakes expecting to see Rey where she fell asleep the following night only to hear Luke say, "Training Ground"

"Come On"

The arrive at the outcrop just above the training area a few moments later and Mara Jade said, "That Pillar looks like it's been sliced in half"

"She did that on her first day of training, but that's not what concerns me"

Mara Jade's brow rose to a speculative arch as she asks, "Then what does!"

Luke said, "As untrained as she is she can use both sides as easily as we can breathe Mara she is something the Galaxy has not seen in thousands of years"

"And what's that" Mara Jade asks.

"A Je'daii" Luke said gravely "I fear we must leave here soon and go to Tython"

Mara Jade knew exactly what Luke was telling her and she said, "Compared to any current force user their power was off the charts"

Ignoring the comment for the moment Luke states, "I don't Know exactly where it is"

"I may be able to help with that", Mara Jade told Luke, "As The Hand I had Access to certain Dark-side Holocron's and I may have kept them"

Mara Jade walked down the path to the training area to where Rey was training telling Rey, "Lets see how you do against a real person, and Rey, I'm going to fight like I used to when I was "The Emperors Hand" I am not going to hold back"

Mara Jade's light-saber floats to her hand and a Magenta blade ignited…


	4. Training Begins

Mara Jade walked down the path to the training area to where Rey was training telling Rey, "Let's see how you do against a real person, and Rey, I'm going to fight like The Emperor's Hand I am not going to hold back!"

Mara Jade's light-saber floats to her hand and a Magenta blade ignited… then she rounded on Rey.

Without realizing what she was doing, Rey called the Lightsaber to her hand only to have Mara Jade say, "Any Child Can Do That"

Mara Jade was the aggressor attacking her own daughter and trying to kill her… what stunned Mara Jade was her daughter was keeping pace with her fighting pace, Mara Jade was only going half speed, but her half speed was still faster than any living Jedi or Sith for that matter with the exception of one person Luke Skywalker…

Mara Jade dips into the dark side ever so slightly renewing her attack and her speed and reaction times practically double, and Rey notices her mother's aspect change becoming slightly more malevolent.

Rey feels the dark-side coming off her mother and in her mind Rey, thinks, "If this is what the dark-side feels like I'm not sure I want anything to do with it…"

Rey stopped fighting and turning her Lightsaber off Rey said, "You tried to kill me"

"Rey I was The Emperor's Personal Assassin, if I wanted to kill you, you would be dead" Mara Jade states offhandedly, "I need you to understand that a true follower of the dark side will not be merciful"

Extinguishing her own lightsaber Mara Jade said, "I was trained by Darth Sidious himself You may know him by his other name"

"Emperor Palpatine" Rey said in a soft tone of voice almost afraid that just saying his name would bring him back from the dead…

"And Rey theirs only one other person to do what you just did" Mara Jade said.

"You fought me to a stale mate"

"Who is the other person!" Rey asks

"Me" Luke said descending the path.

"Farm boy", Mara Jade called out, "That place you're looking for, Tython, I know where it is"

"Mom why do you keep calling dad Farm Boy?" Rey asks.

"Because I spent his youth On my uncle Lars' moisture farm" Luke said walking up on them.

* * *

Later that day while Mara Jade and Luke were eating Mara Jade said, "She is almost as good as me… but!"

"But" Luke said, quizzically looking at his wife.

"She needs to be more aggressive, I was holding back I was using only light-saber fighting skill, if I had tapped into the dark side fully you would be dead", Mara Jade explained.

* * *

Later that day they stop to rest at a small stream and Luke said, "The flow of that stream mirrors the flow of the force itself!"

Recalling how she sensed her daughter's apprehension during the fight, Mara Jade tells Rey, "Feel the dark-side , let it flow through you but don't cling to it, and more importantly don't let it cling to you…"

Rey looked from the stream to her mother confused.

Looking at Rey, Mara Jade stated, "When you cling to the force you stop its natural flow"

Using the force Mara Jade builds a dam out of mud blocking the stream and Mara Jade said "watch!"

Rey watches as a small trickle of water finds it's way through the mud dam opening-up a larger and larger hole, Mara Jade said, "Darth Sidious mistake was he wanted power for powers sake!"

"What your mother is trying to tell you Rey is the force can't be possessed", Luke explained, he scooped up some water in his hand saying, "You can't hold on to it, notice how the water finds it's way through the gaps of my fingers"

"Both of you follow me" Luke said as he walked down into a Misty valley they start walking up a well-trodden set of stairs and Mara Jade asks, "Is that a force tree"

As he climbs the stairs Luke nods saying, "The oldest living force tree I've been able to find so far, but it's what is inside the tree that I want to show you"

Stepping into the gap in the tree Luke motions for them to follow him, saying, "Those books contain the original Jedi Texts and they paint a much different picture then any of us have been let to believe, I've had years to study them and I have only scratched the surface"

Rey picks up one of the books and opens it asking, "What good are they if I can read them"

Well the force nuns can teach you… Uh oh, Luke said softly

* * *

As they walk out the trio are confronted by the force nun's and they are not happy. They accepted Rey because she is a Padawan, through the force Mara Jade heard Luke say, do nothing they are stronger then they look…

"Yes, I know I didn't tell you she was coming, I thought she was dead…" Luke states solemnly

"This is my wife Mara Jade Skywalker"

The force nun said, "She is a Sith"

"My apologies" Mara Jade said, "I did not want to use the dark-side here, but I want my daughter to know how to defend against it"

"I was not a Sith I was The Emperor's Hand and Personal Assassin and I was good at it" Looking at the nun Mara Jade said respectfully, "Now I strive to find and maintain the balance between the light and the dark"

Rey was about to come to her mother's defense when Mara Jade said, "It's alright Rey I've had to deal with this since the empire fell"

The Nun looked deeply into Mara Jade trying to find any deception, and could not find any. But she did see what she did to Unkar Plutt.

"He was supposed to look after Rey, Instead he told me she died, and was going to sell her to Snoke to use as bait" Mara Jade, "I could have left him far worse then I did, but he already has Quark for Brains"

Rey burst out laughing.

* * *

Later that night Rey sat in the force tree with one of the books trying to read it, and not making much progress when a voice from behind her said, "it's a very old language even your father only grasps a small amount"

"Great yet another thing I don't understand!" Rey muttered in an irritated tenor.

"Meet me here tomorrow after your breakfast and we will start" the nun said…

* * *

Elsewhere back at Luke's stone hut Mara Jade walks in an in a dead, flat said, Luke "We Have A Problem"

"Oh" Luke asked what might-that be…

"A Dark-sider is trying to influence Rey's dreams" Mara Jade states, "It's a technique I used myself when I worked for Emperor Palpatine"

"What the Darksider does not know, is when they try is again tonight, The Emperor's Hand will be waiting"

"To Attack me is honorable, to attack my child to get to me" In a voice as dark and cold as any Luke had ever heard Mara Jade said, " The Emperor's Hand, and Personal Assassin is about to come out of retirement and go to war with The First Order"

Luke felt a cold shiver run the length of his spine.


	5. A Shared Connection

Mara Jade had been sitting in her daughter's hut cloaked in darkness )Masking her presents for hours, not even Rey knew she was there when it finally happened, Kylo Ren finally appeared.

"Hello Ben!" The disembodied female voice said, "What business do you have with my daughter!"

Both Ben, and Rey turned to the direction that the voice came from and watched as the darkness slowly faded away revealing Mara Jade Skywalker who asked, "So… You're what passes for a sith if these days!"

With a cold hearted laughter Mara Jade States, "You're nothing more than a child throwing a temper tantrum!"

Kylo Ren's rage became apparent on his face as a knot started to form at the bridge of his nose, and line started to form the length of his forehead he was about to speak when Mara Jade cut him off stating, "I was trained by Emperor Palpatine himself I was his apprentice you are playing a game you will not will"

 **"The look on her face said leave this place now"**

Dark side energy started flowing off Mara Jade making her red hair look aflame in waves and narrowing her gaze on her nephew Mara Jade said, "As much as I dislike displays of power it's the fastest way to make my point, your outclassed Ben I won't ask again leave."

"You've chosen to go to war with the Emperor's hand." Sparks of electricity started to form at Mara Jade's fingertips driving her point home as the force lighting starts extending from Mara Jade heading to Ben shocking him and he starts riving in pain on the ground.

"Who is Helping you Ben", Mara Jade States.

"No one" Ben states emphatically.

"Ben… Do you know, the long-term effects of Force-Lighting on the body" Mara Jade asks, in a cold, dead voice!

That comment got Ben's attention as he said, "No" through a painful broken voice

"First is burns all your body fat away, then it starts melting and fusing your bones back together"

"Who is Helping you do this" Mara Jade asks again as Force-Lighting hits Ben again shocking him as his body starts shaking and riving in pain."

"Next time the damage becomes permanent Ben"Mara Jade said, "Your no Darkside user Ben… you don't have the skill for this type of display"

I'm not sure you're a light-side user ether, what you are Kylo Ren is a little boy throwing a temper tantrum." Mara Jade stated coldly increasing the intensity of her attack.

"Stop your Killing him" Rey screamed in a shrill voice as Bens screams of agony fill her ears.

"No Rey I'm trying to get information from him and trying to driving him off", Mara Jade said, "As I told you I am a trained assassin, if I wanted to kill him I could have done it from concealment and nether one of you would be the wiser"

As the image of Kylo Ren fades out of existence, one thing is clear he has a mix of anger and fear on his face. Anger because he did not get what he came for and Rage because he has lost a Battle yet again.

For the first time Kylo Ren felt fear in every fiber of his being, And Mara Jade Skywalker made him feel that. It's not something he will forget or forgive.

* * *

Moments later Mara Jade walks out and away only to have Rey try to chase her down only to be stopped by Luke.

"Let her go Rey… I don't think you understand what that display cost her"

"But dad, she tried…" Luke corrected her saying, "No she didn't"

"To protect you she is using a side of the force she swore she would never use again, she is becoming the person who was sent to kill me again all to protect you"

Rey said softly, "A-A Killer"

"Yes Rey, a Killer!"

* * *

Elsewhere on Ahch-To Mara Jade sat alone when an Aged willowy voice said, "Your own advice you must take Master Jedi"

The semi translucent image of Master Yoda appears

Mara Jade said, "I've failed her I swore I would never"

"Protecting your daughter, you were!" Master Yoda said, "Always so dramatic the young are"

"My hand you must take Mara Jade"

Holding Mara's hands Yoda Guides Mara Jade back to a state of calm telling her, "Evil intent you had not…"

"So as long as I stay Calm" Mara Jade asks.

Looking out over the moon lit beach Yoda says, "Look at the water calm on the surface but look beneath and the currents move this way and that"

Mara Jade said, "So it's not the action but the intent"

"Its Neutral, not black, not white until we decide"

* * *

It was Nightfall by the time Mara Jade came back to the huts only to have Rey run into her arms, the look on Rey's face said, don't ever go that dark again.

"Rey" Mara Jade said in a soft motherly tenor, "If I make that promise I will be neglecting my obligations as your mother"

"If it means keeping you safe, I would risk anything!"

"Everything alright?" Luke said coming out of his hut.

"I'm not sure!" Mara Jade said, "I think Master Yoda just made me a grandmaster!"

* * *

"Luke" Mara Jade said moments later, "Ben is not the one creating the bridge I was able to sever it temporarily"

"Mom that stuff that came out of your fingers" Rey asks shivering at the thought of the memory.

"It's Force lighting an offensive force ability" Mara Jade said and unlike most I can regulate its intensity"

"Relax farm-boy all I wanted to do was drive him off and I did!""

Luke asks, "But you did cause him pain."

"Yes, I did cause him Pain I was interrogating him, not trying to kill him", Rey looks as her mother half in fear half in admiration when Mara Jade said, "Rey, from this moment forward I am going to be training you!"

The Look on Mara Jades face said, I don't have time to be gentle about it

"Dam it" Mara Jade said as she turned away, "I swore I would never train anyone the way HE trained me"

"W-What does that mean" Rey asks getting scared

"It means I am going to start attacking your body… and your mind… you will have no other choice but to attack me in return"

After a pause that seemed to last forever Mara Jade said, "When Emperor Palpatine trained you, you learned to fight back quickly"

"Or…"

"Or What" Rey asked in a shaky wobbly voice, "He Sent You Away"

Mara Jade's eyes were cold as Ice as was her voice as she said, "Or you died Rey,... he coveted Strength and Power over everything and everyone else"

"I wish we had time to do this the right way, but I am going to train you the same way I was trained" Mara Jade said in a brittle broken voice.

"The next time we fight, I will be trying to kill you Rey"

The pain on Mara Jades face was evident as she pulls the hood over her face she needed to be alone, once she would have bathed in the dark-side of the force and enjoyed it, but now, if she could have walked away from herself she would.

"Y-You W-Wouldn't… Y-You C-Couldn't" Rey Stammers

Looking up and into her daughter's face, tears were rolling down Mara Jades face as she said, "Yes… Yes I could Rey"

Mara Jade could feel her heart brake as she spoke the words she never thought would cross her lips… she walked away leaving those words hang in the air.


	6. Mother's & Daughter's

One day later on-board the Jade shadow, Rey walks onto the bridge to see her mother at the controls taking a seat in the copilots chair she asked, "Mom tell me you didn't mean it!"

"Didn't mean what Rey!" Mara Jade's hands glided over the control panel flipping switches here and there as Rey replied, "Tell me you didn't mean it when you said you would kill me."

Swiveling the chair to face Rey, Mara Jade said, "Every word of it Rey, the dark side can be very… Seductive I should know I was five when the Emperor kidnapped me and raised me as his daughter."

A look of horror washed over Rey's face at the recognition of what her mother was telling her and she asked, "how old were you?"

"How old was I when the Dark Lord started training me, I was six…" Mara Jade continued, "I didn't have a childhood, I had endless days of training on how to use the dark side of the force."

"The Jedi weren't much better; the only difference is they had the parents' consent."

Inclining her head to the Facon Mara Jade said, "Say your goodbyes to Chewbacca tell him your catch up with him later!"

"Why?" Rey asked in a tight strangled voice.

"Because where were headed isn't on any map in the Empire's database, or the Jedi's database." Mara Jade said in a cold matter-of-fact manner.

"And where would that be may I ask!" Rey demanded.

"Tython!" Mara Jade quipped doing a start up check telling Rey, "it used to be in the Empire's territory and Darth Sidious gave it to me after a particularly hard Assassination "

* * *

Later that Day Mara Jade was up at the meditation rock and subconsciously reciting the mantra,

 **There is no Ignorance, there is Knowledge**

 **There is no Fear, there is Power**

 **I am the Heart of the Force**

 **I am the revealing Fire of Light**

 **I am the Mystery of Darkness**

 **In balance with Chaos and Harmony**

 **Immortal in the Force**

Luke heard her reciting it and thought, _where did she learn that!_

"Stop lurking farm-boy", Mara Jade states, "If you must know a friend of yours taught it to me, or did you forget my saying something about being made a GrandMaster"

Doing a backflip off the rock Mara Jade said, "After I left I was trying to find my way back when someone named Yoda helped me find my way back"

"Then he taught me that code, said I had to teach it to my daughter"

"So, you met Yoda" Luke said.

Chuckling Mara Jade said, "It's hard to believe the Dark Lord was afraid of someone like Yoda"

"I'm more than I appear to be young one" Yoda said a he phased in…

"Come with me", Luke Said as he headed to the force tree Mara followed him and watched as he pulled out one of the books and opened it to a specific page.

"Read it" Luke said handing it to her.

Mara glanced at the page and to her amazement not only could she read Ancient Tythonian she understood it. She struggled for years to understand the glyphs at the old temple on Tython as she read, she saw the same Mantra

 **There is no Ignorance, there is Knowledge**

 **There is no Fear, there is Power**

 **I am the Heart of the Force**

 **I am the revealing Fire of Light**

 **I am the Mystery of Darkness**

 **In balance with Chaos and Harmony**

 **Immortal in the Force**

Mara Jade looks up at Luke in disbelief.

Mara, I can't train her, not the way she needs to be, I leave that to you… Luke explains.

"Your going to face him" Mara Jade said in a broken voice.

"Yes" Luke said.

Mara Jade sent out a telepathic message, _Chewbacca meet me at Luke's hut!_

The meeting at the hut lasted over and hour and Rey was not happy at being left out.

"Rey" Mara Jade said, "There is a reason I left you out of the meeting, its because of this shared connection between you and our enemy"

"Say your goodbyes to Chewbacca you're coming with me" Mara Jade said

"But" Rey said.

"Do you remember what the conditions of your training are"

Sulking and in a sullen tone Rey said, "If I tell you to do something do it, no questions"

"Good then Grab your gear from the Falcon and meet me at the Jade Shadow you have five minutes" Mara Jade told her.

Six minutes later Rey Met her mother Mara Jade at her ship The Jade Shadow, Mara Jade asks, "Getting the books took longer than you thought"

"NO" Rey Said, "I tried to get dad…"

"He has his own battle to get ready for", Mara Jade said, "Jaina prepare clock and start launch precheck…"

A disembodied female voice said, "right away"

"We will be shadowing/mirroring the Falcon's take-off", Mara Jade said.

Rey looks around for another female ask Mara Jade stated, "Jaina is the ships Artificial Intelligence"

"Jaina, this is Rey, she will be staying with us for now", Mara Jade said

"Mara", Jaina asks, "Do I categorize Rey as Friend or Foe"

"She is my daughter", Mara Jade said.

"So, Family then", Jaina states!

"Rey come with me", Mara Jade said as she strode to the back of the ship, only to have Rey ask, "Don't you need to pilot the ship. No sooner does she ask the question then the ship ascends into the heavens.

"You will need to let go of that anger if you're going to beat Kylo Ren" Mara Jade said

"Who am I Angry at" Rey asks nonchalantly as she unpacks her gear.

"Me" Rey said, "you think I abandon you on purpose"

"Jaina Play Hologram Mara Jade 34 ABY" Rey sees an image of a Pregnant Mara Jade Singing to her unborn child!

"Still think, I abandon you on purpose, that I did not love you" Mara Jade said, "If you don't let go of your anger you will fall"

Rey stares at the hologram of her mother trying desperately to cling to the truth she thought she knew the truth that made her world make sense. The one truth made her feel safe, and secure in the knowledge that whatever her parents did they did it without any regards to her wants and needs and in a single moment all those truths were cast asunder by this simple hologram.

 _How could I be so wrong,_ Rey thought to herself. No sooner did that thought occur then a planet came into view

Having made landfall Rey looks around saying, "This place is desolate… why did we come here"

"Listen to the wind Rey, now feel what's behind it!", Mara Jade said, if you can find the force here, you can find it anywhere."

As Rey feels a wave of energy Mara Jade said, Good, now release all your anger and rage here.

"I-I can't" Rey said in a brittle broken voice, only to be Chided by Mara Jade, saying, "The first time I went to Ashla I almost died."

Mara Jade cast I sideways glance at her daughter Rey, stating, "Mind you, I had bathed in the dark-side of the force since the age of five , but if I could spare you that pain"

"As Master Yoda was fond of saying, You only have what you take with you"


	7. New Padawan

"Come with me Rey" Mara Jade said as she walked to the entrance to an immense complex, she led her daughter through the large stone structures past the Golden spires, Mara Jade said, "I spent hours exploring this place it's called Padawan Kesh"

Rey looked at her mother confused trying to keep track of how many corridors and turns she was making and were the to the left or the right!

"Rey, this is A Je'daii Academy" Mara Jade explains, "This is where everything started, the division between light and dark, everything!"

"It's sacred… to both sides" Rey said half as a whisper as her growing sense of wonder took hold.

"Yes-it-is!" A disembodied Male voice said in her mind.

The force ghost of a man dressed in brown on brown robes standing six feet tall with long flowing brown hair and blue eyes appears saying, "You can't save him, you know that!"

"Who are you talking about", Rey asks quizzically trying to hide her pain and anger, as she looked on with fascination

"You know who!", He states, not so much walking forward as floating forward

Y-You mean Ben" Rey stammers as she looks at the ground.

"Yes" The man said not so much looking at her but looking into her.

"He has to want it, But", Rey said

"Like your mother I have used and mastered both sides of the force, but unlike me your mother learned something, I did not." He said with a sad smile on his face

"What is that!" Rey asked raising a brow to a speculative arch.

"Not to Hold on to Anger" He replied reaching out with his hand stating, "Don't make my mistakes Rey"

"Who are you!" Rey exclaims as tears start forming in the corner of her eyes…T

the force ghost fades saying, "You know who I am!"

"G-G-Grandfather" Rey Hiccuped through tears, "Grandfather Anakin" _Come back_

 _I am always with you Rey... I never left_

* * *

Moments later as they walked through yet another courtyard, "This is as good a place as any" Mara Jade states as Rey looks at her mother confused. Both mother and Daughter were surrounded by the force ghosts of the long dead Je'daii Order

"Rey I am formally taking you as my Padawan…" Mara Jade said stepping forward, "You will be learning both and it will not be easy"

Mara Jade led Rey down a series of hallway before they arrived at a large room and Mara Jade said, "This is the temple chapel I want you to Meditate here"

The Hall was sparse in its accommodations, with a few cushions stacked against the wall.

The Force ghost of a man with light brown skin and black hair and brown eyes, appears. He states "you can never rid yourself of anger and rage, but you can accept them as a part of you…"

"Forgive me I am Ketu, in life I was Mater of this Temple" The man said floating beside Rey.

"If that's true then you can help me, I have books from your time, Je'daii texts!" Rey said shyly, "I can't read them…"

Looking into Rey's eyes and smiling Ketu said, "When next you come here, bring them I will help you both!"

* * *

Two hours later Rey was walking the hallways of the temple when she happens upon a Je'daii saying carved into the stone wall…

"Mater Ketu… what does it say!" She asks trying to read the Alien carvings

Pointing to each word engraved in the stone he started saying

 **There is no Ignorance, there is Knowledge**

 **There is no Fear, there is Power**

 **I am the Heart of the Force**

 **I am the revealing Fire of Light**

 **I am the Mystery of Darkness**

 **In balance with Chaos and Harmony**

 **Immortal in the Force**

It's our code, The Je'daii did not believe in choosing but learned the force in its entirety… Your mother is waiting on the training ground!

He said as he led the way

* * *

As they arrive at the grounds Mara Jade Skywalker stood their, with two wooden swords in one hand, and a hood in the other

She hands them to Rey saying, put the hood over your head and take the wooden sword in hand, I know you can fight well enough when you can see, lets see how you do when you can't see…

"Remember what I told you listen to the sound of the wind, then listen to the sound behind the wind!"

Mara Jade, said, "Rey trust what you feel, learning to fight on the streets served you well, and it makes you hard to predict"

Mara Jade surprised her force presence as much as she dared she was not going to make it easy for her daughter but at the same time she was going to need the force to boost her speed.

Through the force Rey could hear Ketu say, _"Don't think… feel… remember the meditation hall and extend yourself"_

Rey does as Master Ketu told her and sees a whitish gray energy and turns to face it, slowly it takes on human form, but what came next was truly impressive Rey could hear her mother's breathing, even her feet as they scrape the stone tiles at their feet!

She could even see Mara Jade as she swung the wooden sword, and moved to block it.

Crack, crack, crack, Rey was moving blocking and striking but did not understand how. Her head was covered yet she could see her mother clear as day, even hear her heartbeat, thirty minutes later Rey rips the hood of her head and is temporarily blinded but the sunlight as she readjusts to the sun saying, "That… was weird…"

"I couldn't see you, but I could… I could even heart your heart"

"Force Sight… And Force Listening", Mara Jade said, "Your father is quite adept at the first, and the second, I heard rumors about it when I was the hand" Mara Jade said.

"Force Listening" Said Anakin Skywalker's disembodied voice as he started to materialize he states… Anakin's face saddens as he said, "I used it in a way it was never meant to be used!"

Thinking back to the moment Rey saw her mother's' heart she said, "You used it to… to

"Yes!" Anakin said, strangled painful voice, "I was never perfect Rey.

Rey threw down the sword running from the practice ground, and Mara Jade was about to go after her when Anakin said, Let her go, for now"

Rey ran to the safety of the temple chapel, and that's where Master Ketu found her saying, "Your troubled young one"

"M-My Grandfather was a…" Rey states in a brittle voice.

"Rey" Master Ketu said, "Your grandfather was not an evil man, but he was in service to one"

"Now you're ready"

"Ready" Rey said speculatively, as her eyebrow rose to a high arch.

"Ashla awaits Rey" Master Ketu told her…


End file.
